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J852 HCB

1998 Mazda MX-5

Yellow Petrol 1600cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 May 2027
Tests24 (18 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

208,698 mi
Last recorded208,698 miles
Recorded on22 May 2026
Typical for 1998 Mazda MX-586,993 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Mazda
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ852 HCB
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1998
ColourYellow
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,600cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

18 pass 6 fail
Pass 22 May 2026 208,698 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 16 May 2026 206,698 miles

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Apr 2025 205,890 miles
Pass 17 Feb 2024 202,499 miles
Pass 14 Jan 2023 196,782 miles
Fail 27 Aug 2021 196,363 miles

Offside Front Obligatory indirect vision device insecure (3.3 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting Sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 2 Sep 2020 195,833 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security Arch (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security Sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 1 Aug 2019 193,616 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 3 Aug 2018 189,960 miles

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 1 Aug 2018 189,960 miles

Offside Front Headlamp light intensity severely reduced (4.1.4 (a))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 24 Jul 2017 184,279 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Fail 24 Jul 2017 184,273 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 19 Jul 2016 182,861 miles
Pass 21 Jul 2015 182,087 miles
Pass 14 Jul 2014 179,693 miles
Fail 22 Jul 2013 178,177 miles

Offside Front Obligatory mirror damaged, but not seriously affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Pass 22 Jul 2013 178,177 miles

Offside Front Obligatory mirror damaged, but not seriously affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

Pass 29 Jun 2012 170,863 miles
Pass 3 May 2011 156,337 miles
Pass 14 May 2010 146,956 miles
Fail 30 Apr 2010 146,901 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear fog lamp missing (1.3.2a)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 3 Jul 2008 146,552 miles
Pass 13 Jun 2007 143,059 miles
Pass 18 Jul 2006 129,063 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

How Reliable is the Mazda MX-5?

Based on 2,502,760 MOT tests across 160,823 vehicles.

76.5%
Pass Rate
2,964
Miles/Year
36
Year Lifespan
160,823
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded 44,475
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 41,962
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 35,980
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 33,281
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 32,722
Full Mazda MX-5 reliability report

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J852 HCB is a 1998 Mazda MX-5 in Yellow with a 1,600cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 1998 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.9% with a typical mileage of 86,993 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Mazda MX-5 fails its MOT is seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded, accounting for 44,475 recorded failures. If you're considering buying J852 HCB, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Mazda MX-5 typically stays on UK roads for around 36 years. At 28 years old, this Mazda MX-5 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of J852 HCB?

You can check the full history of J852 HCB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J852 HCB registered?

J852 HCB is a 1998 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 11 November 1998.

Is J852 HCB safe to buy?

The MOT history for J852 HCB shows 24 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J852 HCB have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on J852 HCB. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.